The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-11-26

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ana pointed the ships nose Tor the 1uii'
but we TOOK good care not 70 90 toc
fast
Ihe success OF the evening previous
naa emboldened the Pirates. dons
know what sort OF q looking over tney
gave us from their mastheads' bus they
were certainly deceived as 70 our iden-
uty. Iney dia NOT come 6ead a. US on
the start probably intending 70 give
US . DIT OF invesngatlon' out no sooner
did the signal OF distress become PLAIN
70 tnem tnan eacn dnow sitered ner
course ana pore straignt down. Na
not our signai cal ior neipF wa slt
NOT tne'r duty 70 nasten 70 our aids
mere was out one other san IN sight,
ana sne was wen up the iuli Inc
Pirates nai . clear coast ana . hapiess
v.ctim, ana they cracked on all SAL.
iney nad scarcely been seen before
the Yankee mate recognized the identi-
cal dhows OF the day previous, and
AFTER that we had no fears OF making .
mistake. Our whole crew entered into
the scheme with Will While we did
not beat to quarters every gun was
made ready, ammunition passed up
ana long before the dhows were up we
had every preparation made. TWO
thirds OF the men were kept In shelter
behind the bulwarks' and the pirates
could see nothing TO arouse Suspicion.
The piratical crafts came along in q
bunch. They were of about the same
size and burden, and each carried fully
forty men. When they had come down
within cannon shot they separated, hav-
ing probably planned to lay us aboard
stem and stern, but our Captain did not
propose to let 1t 60 that lar. While ne
could have no doubt OF our aoiiity 70
clean out the scoundreiiy gang ne re-
aiized that a hundred determined lei
lows dumped upon our decks with
pistols ana cutiasses meant death ana
wounds 10 some OF our crew. just As
the dhows separated our ports were
Knocked open. the guns run out. ana
next moment we were giving 1t to them
hot and heavy. Inc fellows could not
nave been more surprised nad tne sea
suddenly opened to swallow them up
Each OF the dhows had . couple OF can
non ON deck. but there was no thought
OF using them. Inc knowledge that
they had caught 9 Tartar seemed 20
unnerve them. and the first dhow had
gone down before either OF the other
two seemed to think OF escape. Then
it was too late. Our shot went right
through them and LETT terrible gaps Tor
the sea to pour in, and In Just seven
minutes by the watch from the hiring OF
the first gun we got the order to cease
firing.
zone dhow was at the bottom. the
second with her rail awash, and the
third was on her beam end and slowly
turning turtle. The survivors of our
cannonade were floating about on
pieces Of the wreckage, but by the time
we had lowered our boats and picked
upseven the rest had been pulled under
by the sharks. which came to the feast
in great school. Among those res
cued were the captains OF two Of the
dhows Seven worse looking villains
than those we picked up were never
seen in or out OF prison. They were .
defiant lot too. Having recovered
from their shock OF surprise. and COM
pretending that trick had been played
on them, they fought us even a. we
rescued them from the sharks. No
matter how bad gang you get hold
OF. on sea or land, some one OF them
viii be ready to turn nose to save his
neck. It was 80 in this case. Six OF
them refused to answer question con-
I K<M@s I<u~k ~